


Stranded

by Memento_Scribet



Category: Original Work
Genre: Abandoned Castle, F/M, Ghosts, Just a little spooky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 18:02:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21257375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Memento_Scribet/pseuds/Memento_Scribet
Summary: Adrien and Margot were just hoping for a little bit of fun on their vacation. One afternoon, they found themselves broken down in the middle of the woods. With no cell service, but lots of rain, they'll need to figure out their new plans for the night.





	Stranded

It seemed as if the sky was truly falling when their rental car sputtered to a stop. Raindrops had been angrily pelting their window for the past hour, with no sign of stopping. They could just barely make out that they were on a road, but much more than that was hidden by thick sheets of water. 

The clock on the dashboard told them it was only four in the afternoon, but it was dark enough to be midnight. A combination of their air conditioner and the moisture in the air made their breath slightly visible, even though it was still technically summer.

They sat in silence for several seconds, almost as if they hoped that not acknowledging their problem could possibly fix it. Most people typically enjoy the sound of rain, the tapping of droplets and the distant rumble of thunder. Then again, the people who relish this natural symphony aren't trapped in a dead car, in the middle of nowhere in a foreign country, and with no cell phone service. Situations such as these tend to put a damper on one’s enjoyment of the little things. 

“So…” Margot said, her deep brown eyes focused forward. “What do we do now?”

Adrien hummed, thinking it over carefully. “I guess we walk.”

“Walk?” She squeaked. “Adrien, we don’t have a map and we don’t know where we are. Last time we had a GPS signal, it said we were three hours away from our hotel and that was thirty minutes ago. Lord knows how off track we are now.” She slumped in her seat, fixing her boyfriend with a pout.

“I know all that,” He said. “But it’s not like we have a better option. I don’t know why our car died. We aren’t going to miraculously get cell reception here. And I am pretty sure we were coming up on a village anyway. Besides,” His eyes took on a sly look. “Where’s your sense of adventure? This trip was your idea anyways. Backpacking across Eastern Europe, letting the intrigue and the wind be our guide.” 

“That was before Zeus himself cursed this road trip.” Margot muttered, twisting her short brown hair around her finger. 

“Look, I know you aren’t happy with this.” Adrien said, “But we don’t really have another choice.”

They sat in silence for several moments, the only noise being the weather relentlessly battering their car. 

“Fine,” She sighed, drawing out the word to express her resignation. “But if we come across Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s castle, I am gonna leave you for him.” 

“I think it is more likely we will come across Dr. Frankenstein’s castle, but you are still welcome to leave me for whatever science-fiction insane doctor we might come across.” Adrien joked. He reached into the backseat and grabbed his raincoat. He flipped the hood up, mussing his wavy blond hair. His untidy hair, paired with his bright green eyes, gave him a decidedly youthful appearance. Margot admired him for a moment before donning her own jacket, carefully tucking her hair under the hood. 

He opened his door first, cursing under his breath when the first cold drops hit his skin. He heard Margot squeal and he carefully hurried over to her. 

“I didn’t realize we were on a dirt road!” She said as her shoes sunk into the muck. 

Adrien laughed a bit as he helped her find a more packed patch of mud to stand on. “At least you chose to wear combat boots today.” She jabbed him in the shoulder, almost making him lose his balance. He grabbed her hand and they began their trek, remembering after a few steps to lock the car with the fob. At least that much still worked. 

The road was long and twisted, bordered on both sides by tall trees. The branches intertwined overhead, giving it almost a tunnel like appearance. Had it been a sunny day, the warm light would have filtered through the leaves, casting a mottled appearance on the road. As it was, the leaves and branches did very little to lessen the torrential downpour from above. 

Still, the couple was determined to move forward. They walked until it became dark, drenching the forest in darkness. 

“Should we go back?” Margot asked, clutching Adrien’s arm as her eyes darted amongst the trees. Adrien had been smart enough to grab a flashlight, which did little more than light their path. 

“We’d just have to start walking again in the morning.” He said. “Besides, I think the rain might be lessening.” 

And he was right. When they had first exited the car, the drops had been painful. Almost as if Heaven were trying to pressure wash the sins from the Earth. Now, the drops were much more gentle, sliding down their skin and leaving wet trails where their predecessors has almost bruised. The clouds shifted, allowing the faintest bit of light from the full moon to appear. 

In this gentle glow, a large shape was revealed in the distance. 

“Is that a… castle?” Margot asked. 

“Looks like it.” Adrien answered. He plodded forward, only to be stopped in his tracks by her grip on his arm. “What?”

“You cannot seriously be considering going over there, right?” She asked. “We were literally just joking about fictional psychopaths!” 

“Keyword being fictional, babe.” He said. “Look, normally I would write places like this off as mega haunted and move on, but this is the first place we have seen. We’re both tired and wet. Let’s just go rest our feet for a few minutes and then we’ll keep looking.”

Margot continued to look unconvinced, but she let her boyfriend lead on. The closer they got, the less afraid she was. The place really looked like something out of a Disney movie. Stained glass windows, towers, and a huge garden behind the palace, with what looked like a balcony leading to a ballroom overlooking the grounds.

They walked up to the door, finding it slightly ajar. Silently, they slipped in. The place was almost frozen in time. Furniture and fixtures alike filled the rooms and lined the hallways, all covered in a thick layer of dust. They thanked God that there were so many windows, otherwise they would have been in pitch blackness. The moonlight illuminated everything, giving everything a soft glow.

Margot dusted the surface of a bowl, smiling at the perfectly painted animals on porcelain. “This place is like a long lost dream.” She whispered.

Adrien let his fingers trail over the table as he hummed in agreement. They wandered the halls, admiring everything in silence. 

They had made their way into the middle of a long hallway when they heard a door creak open. They turned to find an immaculately dressed man standing a few feet away from then, standing in the doorway that the sound had originated from. He was a little bit taller than Adrien’s five foot ten inch stature. His dark hair was slicked back, and slightly curly and he studied them with dark brown eyes.

The man quirked a dark brow at them. “I don’t believe I was expecting company today.” He said with a slight accent. 

Margot, surprisingly, had not shrieked, electing to instead clutch Adrien’s arm. Adrien, in turn, could only react to his girlfriend’s nails in his flesh. A moment passed as the two recovered from the shock. 

“Sorry for trespassing,” Adrien said, trying not to sound terrified. “Our car broke down not too far from here and we found ourselves stranded.” 

The castle’s owner nodded, taking in their still drying clothes and dirty shoes. “I cannot deny you the comfort of these walls, my friends. It would be unChristian of me to let you remain outside on a cold and wet night such as this.” 

“We appreciate your kindness.” Margot said, still frightened but mostly grateful to be inside. “My name is Margot and his name is Adrien.” Her boyfriend offered a hand to the man.

The stranger smiled and shook his hand. “My name is Vlad. Come, I’ll show you two where you can clean up.”

Vlad led them to a grand chamber, possibly sensing that they would be reluctant to sleep apart in a strange place like this. He brought them towels and some extra clothes, all of which seemed a bit old and worn but clean. He bid them goodnight and closed their door, his footsteps echoing down the hall as he headed to his own chamber. 

“Well, this is… nice.” Adrien said, looking at the antique furniture around the room. Everything about this place seemed clean but ancient.

Margot huffed a bit as she used one of the towels to wipe the mud off her legs. “Yeah, it’s cool, but its also super creepy. Can we lock the door so that ‘Vlad’ doesn’t try to murder us in our sleep?” 

“I don’t know. He seems kinda nice, but I guess most serial killers are nice until they are chopping you up.” Adrien said as he checked to see if the door locked. It had a keyhole, but no lock. Guess he was putting a chair in front of the door before they went to sleep.

“What if he isn’t alone?” Margot said, dropping the towel as a chill ran down her spine. “What if there is a whole group of people just waiting to come in and eat us.”

“Cannibalism would be a fun twist in the story, Mar.” Adrien said, ruffling her hair and trying not to consider her theory. “At any rate, I think we should go explore more.”

“Are you kidding?” Margot practically shrieked. “That’s how people get killed.”

“They also get killed by going for a ride out in the woods and walking into sketchy places, like an abandoned castle.” Adrien said, walking to the door and opening it. “At any rate, we’re sitting ducks here and how many times in our lives are we gonna get the chance to explore a castle?” 

Margot got up and hurried to follow him. “Fine, but I’m only coming so you don’t leave me alone.”

They headed back in the direction they had come, keeping their eyes peeled for any strangers this time. The halls were quiet and empty, lit by lanterns on the wall. 

“Weren’t we stumbling around in darkness earlier?” Margot whispered. 

Adrien shrugged. “Vlad probably decided that he should leave some lights on for his guests.”

Margot wasn’t satisfied by that explanation, but something else quickly caught her attention. “Is that… music?” She said. 

They stood still, listening intently. A melody floated from down the hall. It’s source hidden behind two large doors. They approached the doorway, opening the portal to find a large, well-lit ballroom. 

They stood in awe for a moment. The room was like an auditorium, with a large crystal chandelier in the middle of the room. There were large windows and doors, leading out to a balcony that overlooked the gardens. Chairs and tables framed the dance floor. 

On the opposite side of the room, two thrones sat on a platform carpeted in rich red velvet. Tapestries with Biblical scenes and family crests hung, fluttering from the night breeze and human activity. A multitude of people were dancing, dresses swirling and shoes clacking on the floor. Their dress was out of date, to say the least. It was like the couple had been transported back in time. 

In the center of the room, their host was dancing with a beautiful woman. She had long, dark curling hair and tan skin. Vlad leaned in and whispered something in her ear, making her laugh and blush. She stared up at him, her hazel eyes practically glowing with love. As they waltzed, Vlad turned and saw his guests. He stopped dancing, saying something to the woman before leading her towards them. 

“My friends,” He said, “Apologies for not inviting you to the festivities, but I was not sure if you would want to join us.” 

“It’s no problem.” Adrien said, “We kinda feel bad for crashing your party.”

“Nonsense,” The woman said warmly, grasping Margot’s hand. “We insist that you join our celebration.”

Vlad smiled. “Forgive me, friends. I have been quite rude tonight. Please, accept my Elisabeta’s invitation and join us.” He gestured for them to go dance, wrapping an arm around his wife as he further shepherded them. 

Margot and Adrien nodded, allowing themselves to be led onto the dancefloor. Neither of them really knew how to waltz, but they made a valiant effort not to bump into anyone. After a few moments, the two were spinning like ballroom dancing professionals. 

The night passed in a blur. Margot and Adrien met the noble guests and drank punch flavored with fresh fruits. They soon felt as if they were in the company of old friends, laughing at anecdotes and listening intently to stories of politics and family gossip. 

Suddenly, a high pitched clink caught everyone’s attention. Vlad and Elisabeta stood under the grand chandelier. 

“Dear friends,” Vlad said. “I am very pleased that you could all join me here tonight. It is very rare that we are able to all gather in one place at the same time. I have so missed each and every one of your faces.” Vlad looked down at Elisabeta, gently caressing her cheek as he spoke. “Soon, you will all be leaving, but I could not let you go without thanking you for making this old man less lonely for one night.” For a moment, a flash crossed his face. It seemed like centuries of darkness were revealed in his eyes before quickly fading back into a bittersweet appreciation. He lifted his glass in a toast. “To comrades, new and old!”

The crowd lifted their glasses in response. Everyone drank and laughed together. Then another man stepped forward. He looked old and very important. 

“As your loyal steward,” The man began. “I would like to say a toast in your honor. Midnight is fastly approaching, but we cannot leave without expressing our gratitude. We appreciate your lordship’s protection. May the house of Tepes never fall.” Everyone murmured an agreement as the old man raised his glass. “To Lord Dracula!”

Everyone raised their glasses and drank again, as Adrien and Margot exchanged a panicked look. Before they could truly react, a grand clock started chiming.

The chandelier and lanterns dimmed, leaving moonlight to illuminate the room. Once the light changed, the people did as well. Everyone in the room, except for the young couple and Lord Dracula, became translucent. Slowly, they began to walk out of the room, disappearing as they exited. Elisabeta turned to her husband, holding his face between her hands and kissing him gently before releasing him. 

“Until next we meet, my love.” She said tearfully as she stepped away.

“Until then, my darling.” He responded. 

As the last of the spectres exited the room, Dracula turned towards them. His face was still polite, but it was obvious he was not feeling as friendly as he was before. Adrien and Margot cowered where they stood, afraid of what he would do. As he stepped towards them, Margot closed her eyes and screamed. 

“Margot!” Adrien yelled, shaking her awake. She jerked forward. Daylight was streaming into the car. They were stuck in the car, just like yesterday.

“Where are we?” She asked, shakily.

Adrien pulled out his phone. “About an hour from our hotel. Bad news is that the car still won’t start. The good news is that I got my signal back and someone should be here soon to help us get back.” 

Margot looked out the window. The trees looked less scary in the daylight. The roads also looked a bit drier. She sighed as she leaned back in her seat.

“So,” Adrien said, eyeing her suspiciously. “What was that scream about?”

“Oh,” Margot said, rubbing her arms as though she was cold. She was actually warm, but she still felt a shiver work its way through her. “I had a bad dream.” 

“Me too.” Adrien said, raking a hand through his sleep tousled hair. “Its probably the whole being stuck in the woods thing.” 

Margot hummed. She looked in the rearview mirror and saw a tow truck driving up behind them. “Our salvation is here!” She laughed as she opened the door, grabbing her purse and standing up. Adrien joined her as they told the unamused tow truck driver their story of woe. He loaded up their car and they set off. 

Standing just outside of their view, a dark haired man watched them disappear. He smiled grimly as he emerged from the forest and headed towards his home, an abandoned castle that becomes filled with unlife once a year.


End file.
